


His Last Hope

by shadowsamurai



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-21
Updated: 2012-06-21
Packaged: 2017-11-08 06:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/440225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsamurai/pseuds/shadowsamurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One person has yet to give up on Londo Mollari, and is willing to try anything in order to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Last Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)

B5-B5-B5-B5-B5-B5

It's not the first time Vir's changed his mind about this, and it probably won't be the last. He can't help thinking it's a really bad idea, but then again, he's done many things that would fall into that category, so what's one more to add to the list? But in the grand scheme of things, Vir knows that *this* is particularly, and probably stupendously, stupid. Or brave, depending on your perspective. Vir thinks that sometimes, he's the only one on the station who has a good perspective of things; he feels like he's the only one who really sees what's going on. Of course, Vir also knows that's not true. Lennier sees his fair share, and Delenn…Delenn could probably tell the future for the next hundred years, if Vir cared to know or dared to ask. It's an exaggeration, he knows, but that's the feeling he gets from her. And G'Kar…. The Narn terrifies Vir, with good reason, but he gets the feeling that G'Kar sees and knows so much. One day, Vir decides, it would be nice to just sit and have a conversation with G'Kar, or any other Narn, for that matter. He never wanted there to be a war in the first place; he doesn't see the point in it. It's a little naïve, he supposes, for an ambassadorial aid to be naïve, but Vir doesn't care. He'd rather be that than like Londo.

Londo. Now there was a complex man. One minute he's trying to save lives, shocked at the amount of defenceless, civilian Narns who have been slaughtered, and by his actions, no less. The next minute, he's declaring war left, right and centre. On the one hand, Londo wants Vir to stay and for that alone, Vir is eternally grateful because no one has ever wanted him to stay anywhere before. But on the other hand, Londo never listens to him, always ignores him, and makes him do all the dirty jobs. Vir has no doubt that Lennier and Na'Toth all have to endure similar things, but he's pretty certain that *their* employers don't make suggestions sound like demands…or simply, don't make demands at all. And if they do, there's probably a pretty damn good reason for it. Not like Londo. It's almost like he's the emperor of his own little fantasy world; every whim must be answered, whether it small, big or totally gigantic. And usually, Vir doesn't mind. But lately…lately things have been spiralling completely out of control. And the worst part it, Vir knows Londo can see it happening, knows it's happening, feels* it happening, but doesn't know how to stop it. Sometimes, Vir isn't sure Londo actually wants to stop it.

And so, because Vir cares about Londo because Londo is the only person who has ever actually wanted him around, Vir has decided to try and help the Ambassador, whether he wants helping or not. Of course, such a task isn't easy. So many people on the station won't even give Vir the time of day, let alone be willing to help him. And then out of those who were kind enough to talk to him, the ones who would be willing to help him were few and far between. Sheridan was a definite no, and that seemed to automatically let Delenn out as well. Vir wasn't certain, but his instinct told him something important was happening with those two. He hopes he's around long enough to see it. Garibaldi might help; he was the closest thing had to a friend. But the past tense is the key: *was* and *had*. Vir isn't sure that friendship still stands. He has the feeling Londo has managed to kick the foundations from underneath it completely. Ivanova might help, but Vir thinks she has enough to think about without bothering her about Londo as well. And being a soldier - and a humanitarian, but Vir thinks she would be happier if no one noticed the tender side of her - Ivanova would probably side with Sheridan over Londo, wanting to either space him or simply dismember him rather than help him. The Great Maker knew Vir himself was tempted to do both to Londo on regular occasions, so he couldn't blame anyone else for thinking the same thing.

Deep down in his heart, though, Vir knows none of those people can truly help Londo. In reality, only Londo can help himself, but Vir has to try. He supposes there's always G'Kar…. The thought always makes him chuckle quietly to himself, though it's really no laughing matter. No, Vir knows there is only one being - 'person' would be a serious misnomer - who is in a position to seriously help Londo. And now, after changing his mind several times already, even making into the air chamber and putting the mask on at one point, Vir is finally ready to 'get his feet moist'. He thinks it more likely he'll drown instantly and that his feet will be more than waterlogged in the end, but if it helps Londo…. He takes a deep breath and speaks.

"Ambassador Kosh, this is Vir Cotto. I-I would like to speak to you."

Vir isn't sure what to expect, and while he hoped, he's certainly surprised when the lights change and he is granted access into a section of the station he's never been to before. He walks slowly, almost skittishly, glancing nervously from side to side. He's not entirely sure where he's going, and he's starting to think again that this is a Really Bad Idea. But Vir isn't given the chance to run away this time. A door opens and without having time to prepare, he comes face to face with Kosh…or at least his encounter suit.

"Enter."

Vir obeys without thinking. It's what he's good at.

"You wished to see me."

As with everything Kosh says, the words are so ambiguously spoken that they could be a statement, a question, or a joke. But Vir isn't about to be deterred now, not after he has come so far.

"Yes. Yes, I did. I do. I-I wanted to talk to you about…Ambassador Mollari." Vir is stuttering and he silently berates himself. After all, Kosh is only a Vorlon; what harm could he do to Vir?

"Yes," Kosh replies. Vir wonders if that's the only word he knows because he could swear he's never heard him say anything else. Except perhaps 'no'.

Vir is lost. He isn't a diplomat or a poet. He doesn't really have a way with words, and so he decides just to be himself. "Can you help him?" he blurts out.

Kosh tilts his head on one side. "Why?"

"Londo made a mistake, I know he did. And I think he knows he did as well, but he doesn't know how to fix it. You know about his…associates, don't you?" Vir asks, and when Kosh doesn't reply, he figures no response is as good as a yes. "Londo isn't a bad person, but he's going to spend the rest of his life paying for this mistake, I know he is. Can you help him?"

"The direction of water in a stream cannot be controlled."

Vir is shocked into silence. That's definitely the most he's ever heard Kosh speak…and then he realises that not a single word made sense. On its own, yes. In a different context, yes. But together, in this situation? No.

"I don't understand."

"Listen to the music, not the song," Kosh instructs.

Vir starts to frown, realising this isn't going anywhere, but suddenly, his eyes widen and for a brief instant, it's like he *understands*. "Londo's destiny…it has been…preordained, hasn't it? He had no choice in the matter, really. It was always going to be this way. Is that what you're telling me?"

Kosh is silent, and Vir thinks he's thinking. "Yes."

"But the future is moving, like that river, and while the direction of the water in the stream can't be controlled, the direction of the stream itself can be altered, if you try hard enough. Can't it?" Vir asks, almost as an afterthought. He knows the big picture is there, but it's blurry and he feels like he's just grasping at the edges.

"It is…possible," Kosh replies.

Now to try again, Vir decides. "Can you help him? Can you bring him back from the shadows?"

Kosh almost finds Vir's question amusing with its ambiguity. For once, the Vorlon isn't certain whether the Centauri means darkness or the ancient enemy, but it's a statement worthy of an answer.

"In the garden, when Sheridan fell, what did you see?"

Vir stares at Kosh. "I-I wasn't there. I heard the other races calling it an angel, but the Narns have one name for it and Drazi have another. I don't know if I would have believed it even if I had seen it."

"What did Ambassador Mollari see?"

"Nothing. He said it was like Captain Sheridan floated to the ground all by himself, but…." Vir hesitates. "But Londo said that around here, meaning on the station, strange things happen all the time, so why waste time thinking about them? I think he was upset that he didn't see anything." Again, Vir suffers a blinding insight, and this time he wishes he hadn't. "You can't help him, can you. He's beyond saving now, because he doesn't believe in miracles or light."

"Yes."

Vir sighs. Kosh was his last hope, and Londo's as well. And now…. "Thank you for your time, Ambassador." Vir turns to leave, but stops short. He knows if voices his thoughts now, he could very well perish instantly on the spot. But for Londo, he's willing to try. After all, that's what friends are for. "Would it make any difference, Ambassador, if you revealed yourself to Londo personally?"

Vir isn't stupid, despite how he acts at times, and how others treat him. He doesn't really believe in Gods or angels, and since the Minbari, the Drazi, the Narn, and all the other different races on the station who were present in the garden all saw a different thing, Vir can only assume it was actually another being, altered by the perception of others. And since Kosh is the only one who has never been seen, except for a handful of people, Vir concludes he must have saved Sheridan.

"No."

Vir nods. That was the answer he was expecting, but it was still worth a try. "Thank you again, Ambassador."

Kosh was Londo's last hope. Now Vir has no one else to turn to. If Londo is going to be saved, Vir knows he must now do it all himself.

FIN


End file.
